Seasonal Spotlight - "Happy Father's Day" And "National Martini Day"

Follow this Martini primer if you want the "perfect" Martini. Just ask anyone who received one from me (Sam Sharp). There is “The Martini” and then there are martinis and, quite often the latter has little or no resemblance to the original. The classic Gin Martini, made of gin and dry vermouth, will always remain a classic and a favorite of many. There is much debate among connoisseurs as to the ratio of the ingredients (vermouth to gin), style of gin, ice level, shaken versus stirred, and garnish that is best, but most will agree that the gin-vermouth combination is one of the classiest and best cocktails ever created.

It was the love for this classic drink that spurred an entire movement, a separate martini culture, if you will, within the broader cocktail scene. Fancy, short drinks served in cocktail glasses that are often quite strong and come in almost any flavor imaginable have come to be known as 'martinis.' Some, like the Manhattan and Rob Roy, are as classic as their gin cousin, while much newer cocktails mix everything from vodka, apples to chocolate to coffee to hot peppers into the so-called 'Tinis. Father’s Day is June 19th and coincides with “National Martini Day”. What better way to celebrate dad and the ‘Martini.’

Although the exact origin of the Martini is unknown, this iconic drink has earned a permanent place in the pantheon of classic cocktails. The first printed recipe for a “Martinez” cocktail appeared in a bartending manual published in San Francisco in 1887. However, historians disagree over whether the beverage actually originated on the West Coast. In 1911, a New York City bartender named Martini di Arma di Taggia began serving a cocktail made with gin, vermouth, orange bitters, and an olive garnish. The martini gained widespread popularity among Manhattan socialites, and has been associated with New York ever since.

The biggest battle involving taking credit for the martini is in California where the cities of San Francisco and the 'Martinez' cocktail are squabbling about bragging rights. The martini can be found in the 1887 manual of bartender Jerry Thomas from San Francisco and people believe that he may have invented the drink as early as the 1860s. One of the most well-known theories is that the drink originated during the mid-1800s Gold Rush, in Martinez, California, just north of the Bay. While celebrating his recent rise to wealth, a gold miner ordered champagne at a local bar. However, the bar didn’t have any champagne, so the bartender suggested that he try another cocktail from the ingredients he had: vermouth, gin, maraschino liqueur, bitters and a lemon slice, calling it 'The Martinez Special.' Soon after, he ordered another in San Francisco (having to instruct the bartender on how to properly prepare it). By 1880, the drink had gained such popularity that it was published in the Bartenders Manual.

Here is another from Barnaby Conrad III’s book titled 'The Martini: An Illustrated History of an American Classic', where he explains that the drink was actually invented in the city of San Francisco when a miner, who was on his way to the city of Martinez, asked for a drink. The more logical story to me is that the drink is believed to either have gotten its name from Martinez or, as more commonly believed, from an Italian vermouth maker, Martini & Rossi, who also made a dry vermouth called Martini & Rossi, which dates back to approximately 1863 . Over a hundred years later, the Martini remains an American favorite and is definitely not one to miss when you visit its birthplace.

Today, over 50% of all cocktails are served in a martini/cocktail glass. Anything served in a martini glass that is not a classic martini must be aptly referred to as a cocktail glass. Some of the most famous (historical and fictional) martini lovers include: John D. Rockefeller, Humphrey Bogart, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Clark Gable, Ernest Hemingway, and James Bond (unbeknownst to most people, he prefers to drink ‘Scotch on the rocks’).

Martinis are one of the most important classic cocktails, so it is only natural that someone out there decided it should have its own nationally recognized day. The Martini is such a big part of our culture now that we began to wonder where it actually came from. Who is responsible for making this cocktail happen?

You are probably familiar with the many current variations of the martini, like the always popular Apple-tini or Espresso 'Martini', but the basic martini just started out as gin and vermouth. Unfortunately, that’s just about the only thing in the martini’s history that we are pretty sure of. When it comes down to who actually invented the drink…well, that’s a little sketchier.

The Martinez

(Photo courtesy of Liquor.com)

This classic recipe first appeared in O.H. Byron’s 1884 Modern Bartenders’ Guide.

1 1/2 oz Old Tom Gin

1 1/2 oz Sweet vermouth

1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Garnish: Orange twist

Glass: Coupe

Prep - Add all ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass.

Classic Dry Martini

(Cover photo). The Dry Martini is a classic cocktail that has lost its place in history. Although the original of the libation is obscure (so many theories), the Dry Martini has maintained a place in cocktail history as an elegant and sophisticated elixir for cocktailians and those yearning for the stiffest drink on the earth

2 1/2 oz Prairie Organic Gin (modern) or Bombay Gin (old school)

1/2 oz Dry vermouth

1 dash Orange bitters (optional)

Garnish: Lemon twist or 3 olives

Glass: Cocktail

Prep - Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with half ice. Stir with a barspoon until well chilled for about 20 rotations each direction and strain into a chilled cocktail glass using a julep strainer. Garnish with a lemon twist (rub around the rim 12 o'clock to 6 on both sides, twist over and drop in) or 3 olives on a skewer (3 for the Holy Trinity and for Good Luck!). If you are going to use stuffed olives, don't let them swim in the drink. They change the taste and make the martini cloudy, just eat them. Pour used ice into a rocks glass and place next to martini. Use ice to dilute the martini or keep it nicely chilled.

Variations -

Stir all unless otherwise noted and always use a side of used ice in a rocks glass with these martinis. Although not classic, all classic-type martinis can be on rocks (use same measurements).

Classic Martini - 2 to 1 gin to dry vermouth

Wet Martini (early Martini ratio) - equal parts gin and dry vermouth

50/50 Martini - equal parts dry vermouth to gin. Stir

In & Out Martini - swirl the vermouth in the martini glass to flavor it and then dumps out the vermouth. Proceed with just gin. Stir

Very Dry Martini - splash of vernouth (1/4 oz) or no vermouth. Stir

Dirty Martini - this concoction has become one of the most popular modern cocktails. Adding a bit of olive brine (1/2 oz or more depending on how dirty you want it) to the classic recipe above. This gives the drink a whole new flavor. And while any kind of brine will work, try using the juice from unpitted green olives. Bottle it ahead of time - don't pour from olive jar. Lightly shake to combine olive brine with other ingredients, but don't make too cloudy.

1942 Martini - use tequila in place of gin. Use 1 1/2 oz reposado or anejo tequila, 3/4 oz dry vermouth, and a dash of orange bitters. Shake, not stir, and add orange peel or twist.

Vesper

(Photo courtesy of Liquor.com)

Pay tribute to 007 by mixing up his signature cocktail. The drink first appeared in Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel Casino Royale when Bond asked for “Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it? -Casino Royale, Chapter 7. Kina Lillet Bond is a brand of dry vermouth made in France since the late 1800's that is often referred to as the apèritif of Bordeaux. Bond's glassware of choice for the Vesper is a deep Champagne goblet.This is very, very potent. Drink with caution!

Prep - Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with half ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist a slice of lemon peel over the drink, rub along the rim of the glass and drop in.

Have a great Father's Day! Toast to Dad! and enjoy a stiff 'Martini.'...Cheers!

About Michael Nagy & Raise Your Spirits

Michael has been working in the bar and restaurant industry since 2000 as a head mixologist, liquid bar chef, spirits sommelier, bar manager, bar consultant, and cocktail expert. He holds an Advanced Certification in Mixology Bartending from the Professional Bartending Schools of America and is a former advanced mixology instructor at a prominent national bartending school. He has worked with many local bars and restaurants on developing cocktail menus, improving visibility, and customer service training. His cocktail book "The Cocktail Rediscovered" was released in 2007 and he currently runs a bar and cocktail website/blog here called “Tails from the Barstool”.

Michael is Owner & Operator of “Raise Your Spirits”, an elite bartending, top-shelf cocktail and beverage service, and bar consultation service in Central Pennsylvania since 2013. He has created seasonal cocktail menus for martini bars and cocktail lounges as well as for event venues, individuals, and businesses. He holds a B.S. Degree in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and has Master's credits in Education and Community Psychology. Michael has been writing for Chilled Magazine for over 2 years, other trade publications, and is currently contributing to "The Culture Trip", a travel, lifestyle, and culture site based in L.A. and Epicurious as a community writer. He can be followed on his site here, on Twitter @mixitup42, and Facebook at facebook.com/tailsfromthebarstool.com.

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